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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Just in case you did not get the word, yesterday was the last day of summer, officially; this morning marks the beginning of the next nine months of routine, regime change, reform, reading - writing - arithmetic to the tenth degree, and rebirth.

School is back in session, let us give thanks and praise for it is good.

Of course, with my girl reaching the monumental first day of high school, nothing can really prepare you; she's like, not saying a word in the car, not moving a muscle except for the occasional fidget with her hair -- she has no idea, nor does she care, about my feelings in this moment; she just wants to get there and get out of the car so she can catch up to her friends and pick up her schedule.

Bye.

Have a nice day, sweetheart...

As I exit stage right with a huge tear traveling down my left cheek, mixed with mascara, of course; just throw on a smear of red lipstick and put a cigarette in my hand, and you've got a basket case resembling every child's worst nightmare of the first day of school.

At least this morning, it was an organized chaos of emotional breakdowns and separation anxiety -- the kids just hopped out of the cars one by one, never looking back, as they knew and wanted none of it.

Buh bye.

But to put this in perspective, it really stands as a moment that will not return for another four years, okay. Yes, admittedly, I am a cry baby much of the time -- from sappy commercials to current events, from routine to rhapsady, from ordinary to extraordinary, from east to west, north and south -- I live by holding my emotions so close to my heart, it hurts some days. But be that as it may, it's a big day, okay.

Last Saturday was no exception to big days either.

And from which I have made a pact, with myself and the world, that I will not sit idly by for no one or anyone. Beck calls it the 40 days and 40 nights challenge; how about the next forty years, beckmeister fuller?

SO moving into more of reform and regime change and rebirth -- let us add good old fashioned religious revival, pep rally and the beginnings of a new revolution; talking about waving the school colors, proud and patriotic; talk about a sea to shining sea of bubbling-over emotion from the bleachers to the sidelines, the south forty to center field; talk about a chorus of song and cheer rising with every thunderous call to glory...

if you were lucky enough to be there, count yourself one of the half a million fortunate flock all nestled, natured and nurtured for the event enlivened by the notion that the day has every potential of masterminding into a second coming of perhaps another Noah, or a Moses -- just as any other guy on a mission from God would do. My freshman jealousy is unbridled and flying through the gymnasium roof at this point; but for the sake of not going entirely and absolutely mad for not making the trek across the national quad to get there, it is done. No sense crying over spilt milk when the Oreo cookies are still in the bag, right?

We have work to do.

Time to buckle down and get at it.

The real tasks are still at hand, with more homework than one could rightfully and successfully do in one night -- let alone forty; it is more like "weeks, months, years" as a famous donkey once said.

One of the most astonishing moments of the day -- GB's day, RESTORING HONOR 8/28 -- came in on a wing and a prayer at the beginning; and if you blinked you might have missed it.

Now bear in mind, Beck really, really wanted something like the Blue Angels barreling by to mark such an occasion; but having the airspace unauthorized for making such a feat of fant-asmic flight of fury, the wild blue yonder could not be made available. Beck had to settle for his festival of faith, day of "Faith, Hope and Charity" event of the season, having to go without a few bells and short a few whistles.

Nope. Can't be done, he was told. Do not even think about it. Not on your life. No way. For you? You kidding me, right?

Skip to nine fifty nine on the dot on the clock, Saturday.

And the Lord said, "Not; not on my watch."

Do you know who you're dealing with? Do you? Dooooo you?

This is God's world, God's people, God's moment to remind us who we are and where we come from.

This event was not of this world at all.

This day IS graced by God; and it was good.

And, it embodied every living and breathing good thing about leaving a legacy of faith to our children, and each and every generation to come. And not just by one faith, but by ALL of them, hand in hand (reminiscent of "the black-robed regiment" -- look into that, if you really want to learn something about our history).

So please, heaven forbid you listen to the naysayers and party poopers and not the pep squad; it's not just the judeo-christian roots here we are talking about (even though, the teachings thereof directly relate to who we are as a nation; one cannot deny the truth. For the J-C history and humanities prerequisites made us good. VERY good.) The message sent out to the world is one of it's kind -- it is the universal faith found in common with nearly every soul on earth which GB clings to, and takes hold so tight, never letting go.

It is not politics; nor is it about the color of one's skin; it is the content of our character (and that which we should teach more of in our schools, but save that for another day).

Sure, GB was entirely misunderstood and mis-characterized from the very start through to the finish by most of the lame-stream media, there is that; but for those of us who know better, know the truth, don't we.

We know what happened.

We know what it means.

We know how to use it to the best and the brightest of our abilities and attributes.

For WE are marshall; we are WE THE PEOPLE; and WE -- along with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- know best.

Affirming our faith and good will and our offering of ourselves to God and all that is Good did not go unnoticed. God was watching; and He sent us a sign dwarfing even the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the illumined reflection pool in between...

for just as the band began to play,

out from the heavens came a flock in formation, rising above the half a million or more gazing up into the sky...geese...as if dressed for the occasion in v-necks and bows...gliding gently and joyfully across the pond, as if miracles happen every day -- but don't get used to it! -- wake up! for God is ringing the bell! and He wants you! to want all that is good! and all that is great! and become something marvelous and beautiful for all the world to see and behold.

Make no mistake, the geese -- flying high and flying low, flying V and flying slow -- were a larger than life sign from God, saying,

Do not fret my child, for I am here; I will always be here; whenever you need me, I am here.

In good days and bad, you will find me; in honor or shame, you will find me; in happiness or despair, you will find me.

Search, knock, seek and find, in all the days of your life, I AM.

And of course, when you are ready to talk about your day -- as I am just itchin' to hear all about every bit of it -- I am here for you, because I love you with all my heart; and it is here I wait... for you... to come home... to me

(and just so you know -- at the risk of sounding like one too many I told you so's -- I have been here the whole time; but don't hate, as you kids so often say today; don't get me wrong, baby -- I am not mad; quite the contrary -- just happy you are safe and in my arms once again...have a cookie).

Here's to milk and cookies for everyone.There is more than enough to go around.Just a little faith and perhaps as many as 500,000 disciples will make it so.

Make it a Good Day, G (little g that is...oh so little... g...)

couldn't find a flock of geese playing in a band, so you got second best, click away on dear america...

see also words of wisdom from Barbara Jordan in my sidebar; it is there everyday, but today, it seems to really shine...it's the little things we do, you know what I mean, peaches and cream?

Friday, August 27, 2010

Guess I didn't have much to say yesterday; you know what I should have said? I should have just plastered a big shout out of

"NO COMMENT"

for the day and be done with it...

only, just find the idea of the President of the United States not having any further comment, at a time when a radical American President statement is most warranted and needed, utterly shameful. Sure, he is acting presidential -- for he has every right and privilege, as both citizen and president, to scoff off such insidious duties such as this -- speaking up; but is it the right thing to do? Especially in light of the fact that he already jumped into the pool with both feet; I guess he misspoke -- or he had absolutely no idea the water would be so cold.

Welcome to America, Mr. President.

the cold, racist, intolerant, bigots that we are, right?

Nope, that's not exactly true, is it.

We just speak up when we see something being done that's wrong, that's all. We speak up in our homes, we speak up with our teachers, we speak up with our congress, we speak up with our community leaders, we speak up with our ministers, we speak up with our children, we speak up as individuals, groups, en mass or alone. WE SPEAK; and it is good.

Something beautiful was captured on the front page of this morning's local section of the newspaper, from the San Diego U-T -- a picture of our latest addition to our Wild Animal Park's elephant family, Emanti; he was born May 12, so that makes him a Taurus... like as in The Bull but more like an elephant, strong willed and headstrong, but a true thinker; they thrive on security, seldom lose control; they are of the earth -- representative of the art, beauty, and strength, and shown to be seldom, if ever, vain.

Emanti means "water" in Siswati, the language of Swasiland, as the U-T makes known for those of us not well versed in Siswa-tian.

Interesting to take little Emanti's fifteen minutes of fame further, he is one of the rare breeds who actually responds to his name, just like our domesticated animals we all know and love; he will learn to come when he is called -- by his name! Isn't that just precious!

Apparently, lions do too; but Rhinos, not so much -- and out where the deer and the antelope roam, neither will they come when you call, even if it's really loud and time for dinner.

According to Rulon Clark, a biology professor at San Diego State, "they are vocal animals to begin with...they're social creatures who live in herds," so it should be "no surprise that elephants can relate to their names."

Having been given a name, the animal is more prone to advancement, by being stimulated mentally -- allowing for their relationships to move beyond the superficial level, deeper than the pure physical attraction and beauty of their trainer or little Ellyana next to him (I just made that last part up; everything beyond the dash...totally made up, rhetoric if you will, something maybe even entirely not true).

Okay, NOW I'm finished with baby beluga elephant named Emanti; even though I can't wait to go see him and introduce myself...you too, can see him by going to www.uniontrib.com/babyelephant

The thing is, even when being perfectly clear, a president can miss the mark; a true blue American President would inherently and completely, without thinking about it sort of thing, side with the majority of Americans. A president such as a Bush or Reagan, perhaps a president like a Clinton or Kennedy, they would never give creative license to building a mosque on Ground Zero; they would, without a doubt in my mind, say to the Imam, speak to the developers, direct his thoughts to all Americans, New Yorkers specifically, the rest of us metaphorically, but certainly to the Islamic world -- that this is AMERICA! And we will not be stampeded into the ground any further by a victory mosque placed on or near the closest watering hole next to Ground Zero -- we will not stand for that; for we call it like it is.

For this kind of bad behavior has been done before all over the world; and this Imam Rauf, this Daisy Khan, know exactly what they do.

But here we are in namby pamby land apparently, one day the President shows all guts and no glory, and speaks to his fellow Muslims at the White House Ramadan dinner, open mic and proud of it; the next day, he takes a step back, pondering the damages by his very own gigantic hoof in mouth; morphing slowly and ever evolving into, finding the balls to venture into I have "no regrets" and "no comment" country; and now I'm done playing, Martha's Vineyard is calling my name.

What is troubling today, in America, is having a President who -- in spite of having been birthed a beautiful name -- he has no idea who he truly is.

He doesn't really know how to be or behave as an American President and citizen -- for just look at his history:

he was given a name, which at times he has hidden from view (the Hussein part)

he was living on an island, a place just barely a state, or in Indonesia, his most formative years

he was given a heritage, who at times -- in his words and sentiment -- he has purely despised (speaking of his reference to "whitey" commentary, and a grandmother of a particular color).

he was given a political view, which continues to confuse and dismay the majority of us -- we of course knew he was hardly "right", but center was what we thought we got, while the rules for radicals left could only be witnessed from deep water drilling -- and you had to know it was there or you would never go out that far in the first place.

he was given a religion he claims to be Christianity, yet he has worshiped as a Muslim (childhood), and in adulthood as a Black Liberationist under his mentor and closest thing to a real father, who baptized his children, who he consciously chose to follow loyally for twenty years in a church, a church who does not believe in the sanctity of America, individual salvation and self-reliance -- but the collective salvation and damnation of America, through the most radical hate speech a "preacher" could ever muster -- all of which he never would have given up until he ran for President of this United States -- of this America.

he was given the highest honor in the land, and one of the first thing's he does is apologize to the world for our behavior and imperialistic arrogance, beginning smack dab in the Muslim world.

The man, the citizen, the president does not really know who he is -- but even if by some miracle he does, right now we are watching him pretend to be something he is clearly not.

It's not because of his color.

It's not because he may be Muslim.

It's not because he is clearly, by all appearances, very, very liberal.

It's not even because he demonized part of his own ethnicity and family heritage.

It's because he, himself, is not in harmony with his own American spirit -- thereby breaching whatever relationship we, the people, thought we had with him; the surface does not match what is inside the man; we have been fooled and sit at the edge of cliff, looking over the land we know and love, disheartened by our own naivete and trust, only wishing we had a clue as to the easy way back.

Oh Emanti, you lucky boy! You know who you are today.

You are an American elephant, with a whole herd of family surrounding you, born in the second happiest place on earth (second to Disney, of course). All you will ever have to do is be true to yourself, never thinking you're a lion, a tiger, or bear -- you are an American elephant christened with the name, Emanti, which means "water" born in the sun sign of Taurus.

You will be happy to know that earth and water mix really well together, each taking turns characterizing the beauty and brains of a balanced relationship; but no matter, don't worry that pretty little head by thinking too much about it, just be yourself and you will get along just fine.

That's all Americans really ever want (speaking of presidents or bakers or car makers or preachers) -- honest to goodness, your word as good as a handshake as good as a done deal as good as apple pie and sunshine all melting into one big happy family.

Honesty (integrity, honor, charity...see 9/12 project in sidebar) is the best public policy, and it all begins with an American President; guessing, "it's no surprise" that presidents "can relate to their names;" but stumbling over half truths and make believe, you will fall and fail all of us, but mostly, here in America, your self.

Make it a Good Day, G

My name is Gretchen...Gretchen Suzanne...just a girl who loves elephants this day in the life of G -- here, in America -- and make no mistake, a happy place -- a place where we come when we are called and speak up! Yeah for you and me and Emanti!

Take a few minutes, maybe ten, to witness the first moments with a mother and child on "Dear America" theater today; there is no music, but a sit in the silence, being apart of something pretty magnificent, is all you really need.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

It's a simple question; a question that no matter the answer, the belief system, the mindset, the taste-buds of your particular family are already firmly in place, lined up all in a row in the fridge right now. Too late to change your mind now (or is it?). Whether it's to Refresh, or going for The Real Thing, the choice is a cold, clear illumination of a side -- and perhaps one that was chosen for us long ago.

Trivial as it may sound, my little mama inside me has been busy sweeping my mind this morning -- multitasking of course, while sipping on coffee, thinking about everything I have to do today, all while aimlessly gazing through the eucalyptus branches meeting me with a ray of sunshine. It's my daily coffee clutch, my morning mediation with the world, my minute or two of solitude that seems to some days come with ease, while upon others, it reluctantly goes along with me kicking and screaming all the way.

In G world today, my thoughts are tangled up with other people's children.

Wondering, what on God's great earth are other people's babies being taught about America this morning? And suffice it to say, it is creating quite a stir.

Perhaps it is lumping in the highlights of an upcoming expose on Elin Nordegren, who will be glossing the front cover of People magazine coming up this Friday, fresh off the presses. Word is leaking out about how she feels, "the embarrassment" of going "through hell" with absolutely no choice whatsoever...with all of us just watching...making snide commentary...jumping to conclusions...exaggerating truth, or worse, not speaking truth at all. Gossip girl meets locker room boy, all through the links and beyond.

The town can talk, can't we -- and no longer does it take a day's ride on a train or buggy (just ask Bob Schieffer, for "ignorance travels fast on the Internet"-- and furious, you know, "with fear and rage", just ask Katie Couric).

So, the thing is, getting back to this morning -- other people's babies hear everything, and nothing, through the eyes of their mama or papa all the way home, along with what the rest of world is telling them -- all with no filter, no chance for edit, no opportunity for all sides to present themselves, just full on open mic... overflowing and non-stop.

My fear is, just what are the children being told about America, in the homes that have -- with great assumption indeed -- a wildly different experience from my own; what about the children born into a side having been chosen for them -- Pepsi or Coke -- unlike mine; what about the babies who do not know or recognize the America that I know and love, and in turn teach my girl?

As you may remember from the last week or so, I refreshed myself with a long, lost book, Gift from the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Initially daunted by the realization that her immediate experience dates back to the fifties, raising her children at a time when things were soooooooooo different, I am struck by her thoughts remaining true to this day...and so much like my own.

She says,

"For life today in America is based on the premise of ever-widening circles of contact and communication. It involves not only family demands, but community demands, national demands, international demands on the good citizen, through social and cultural pressures, through newspapers, magazines, radio programs, political drives, charitable appeals, and so on. My mind reels with it." (oh my, you have no idea, Annie...)

Going on to say,

"This is not the life of simplicity but the life of multiplicity that the wise men warn us of. It leads not to unification but to fragmentation. It does not bring grace; it destroys the soul, And this is not only true of my life, I am forced to conclude; it is the life of millions of women in America. I stress America, because today, the American woman more than any other has the privilege of choosing such a life."

Nineteen Fifty Five, people. Nineteen Fifty Five.

Wow.

The uncanny resemblance to life's lessons, through hopes and dreams, experiential and emotional, unveiling the universal story of coming of age and coming into one's own, as a women -- to find our true center alone -- is exactly that which Elizabeth Gilbert, of Eat Pray Love, came to recognize in her life; and fortunately for us, managed to share it recently on film (so much faster that way, no?).

But just how many mamas are in the midst of simply overreacting right now, today; this is what seems to be one of my main concerns right now...

how many are listening just to Katie or Bob, or even, Daisy (a memory of yesterday's lament)?

how many are telling their children, America is a land of hatred, bigotry, prejudice and racism?

how many are saying to their babies, this land is not made for you and me?

how many are not taking a moment to still that quiet voice inside their heart, to get to the root of the broader experiences and the bevy of sweeping emotions that are causing such a stir, breaking our spirit, for one to another to our children?

The moment to breathe is right now; we don't have a second to wait.

Returning to the promise we made as individuals at the very birth of this country, this is what it is all about; what is being mercilessly trampled upon is not only the hearts and minds of our children, who will ultimately become the next generation in charge -- but the simple value of knowing thy self, healing thy self, making way for thy self and thy family, all by our self, alone.

What these days should look like then, is every family coming into one's own, for the good of the community and the whole -- through assimilation; not diversification and divide. We must find a way to excavate the common ground and live in peace with one another, otherwise the good of America will be buried and lost forever.

But above all, what we teach our children right here, and right now, will be what they know for themselves; it will be what they believe -- of America; it will be what carries them into rebuilding America out of the legacy of ruin we have left them.

Elin, by all appearances thus far, is a mama choosing to take the high road; she is consciously choosing not to drag Tiger and her children through what we would probably all like to see -- a pure, unadulterated lambasting of HIS truth and consequences, out in the open for all of us to watch, for he deserves it right (no, really, I don't...just trying to capture -- and lower myself for a second -- to the tabloid logic. for ratings, you know... didn't really work, huh?)

What is the real truth about America?

How can we expect to raise children to be able to find their true center when we, generally speaking, can't find our own?

As a country, we lean just right from center in most every issue under the sun; just wouldn't know it by listening to the mainstream media or the rhetoric played on the loudspeakers over and over again.

Turn down the noise and listen to that which lies deep inside you; I have every faith in the world, mamas and papas everywhere, of every creed, color and country, would be able to come up with at least a few life's lessons in common that are well worth sharing to our children, and ultimately with the rest of the world we wish to make.

Call it a moment to refresh yourself.

Call it a moment to get back to the real thing.

Whatever -- ring aling aling, America is calling; and it's for made for YOU, and only you, to answer the call the best way you know how. Be polite, be courteous, listen heartily, and speak softly and remember -- the children are just in the other room; and you know what that means, they hear everything.

Do the right thing, teach your children to sing, forget all the bling, ring a ding ding, and

Make it a Good Day, G

For me:
It's Coca-Cola all the way baby.
Pure refreshment, a real treat, is a click and a sip away on Dear America. Kid you not, one of the best little coca-cola videos out there.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

"Every country has the right to impose and enact their laws ... But I tell you that all the Mexicans and the Latins that are living here in the United States are hardworking people -- people who want to improve on their quality of life."

...so says the newly crowned Miss Universe, Jimena Navarette of Mexico, so it must be true.

I didn't watch the spectacle, complete with the bandanna-man and all-American rocker playing out each of his nine lives all on TV, Bret Michaels -- with the latest being drowned in a sea of the most beautiful women in the world (oops, universe); I occasionally catch the Miss America pageantry -- for what would you expect from an American girl -- but once it escalates to full on global annihilation with hairspray and boobs, you lose me.

"Her triumph is a source of pride

and satisfaction for all Mexicans,

who see in her the fruits of perseverance,"

Mexican President Felipe Calderon

...her victory would help Mexico's image, you know, as a country...given the firestorm of late...apparently merrily merrily tweeting to all his fans immediately following the event.

awww and it was so close too for Miss Philippines, until she had to tell the world all about her biggest mistake, blah, blah, blah, and what she learned from it or how it changed her life or the top ten teachable moments she could come up with under a minute...and this is what she said:

"In my 22 years of existence, I can say there is nothing major..."

Venus Raj said.

Yeah, no.

Can't think of anything at all.

No sir ree, been done near perfect, everything spot on, nearly every one of my twenty two years, doink y derr dee doo. Excellent, Venus. Absolutely brilliant. Your parents must be so proud.

No worries, even the big girls can make mistakes; let's mozy over to Daisy Khan (any relation to Ghengis?), she told Sally Quinn of the Washington Post this:

"a community center for everyone in the neighborhood,

to scale up and build up people of all religions

has become so skewed.

It's hard for us to imagine

we are in the thick of a controversy like this.

The Republicans are really going after us."

No, Daisy Duke, AMERICANS are really going after you (and more bad news, you probably won't get the crown for Miss Congeniality either)... as you sit in one of your many glass houses (you will love this, article from Canada Free Press -- "Because without America there is no free world" is on a mission to fill in the blanks and maybe help save the universe), probably missing a glass slipper or two, preaching the Cordoba lesson of religious tolerance while on ABC Sunday morning accompanied by a fellow liberal elitist, Christiane Amanpour, answering the loaded question with burqa off:

"it's not even Islamaphobia...it's beyond Islamaphobia...it's pure hatred against all Muslims... [throwing in a] deeply concerned [for good measure, but then totally blowing it by adding, it's like, you know, like]...metastasized anti-semitism...[or something] "

Something you once said, Daisy, is still in my head and I can't seem to shake it; in the midst of pleading your case for the umpteeth time, you made the claim of the simple truth that Islam is a "religion of law;" right, and just so we're clear, she's got a name, Sharia.

You see, this is where we split paths; in America, our rule of law is separated from our religion. But don't get me wrong, initially, our society and budding culture grew from our faith, taking to it, like, you know, like individuals coming to the well where all good camels come to drink. It was so refreshing, really, not to have a government tell you what to believe, or like, how many times to pray.

In the beginning, there was Light; and our founding fathers birthed our society, and wrote a Constitution, and deeply rooted our budding culture beholdened to our immaculate faith in God, a Supreme Being, a Higher Power, to lead the way -- separated but united -- with the duty to remain solely upon the individual inclinations, personal allegiances -- for the good of the community and for the good of the church -- as long as nobody gets hurt -- to each their own.

Everyone keeps falling back to the attitude that "it could never happen here, in America" as a way to bridge the gap and answer the most important question facing America today, how does the western culture -- and more specifically, America's Constitutional Rule of Law -- blend with the Middle Eastern law, Sharia? How does that look?

In a response we might all understand, not pretty.

Read this from the American Thinker. (the Brits are well down this road to no return already)

The location of the NY Mosque was chosen because it fit the dress, burqa and all; matter of fact, a piece of baggage, parts of a plane, hit the mark so spot on, it turned out to be a real winner; it was absolutely perfect to build a monument of the Twin Towers falling to the ground, GROUND ZERO, with Islamic extremism on board to meet their final fate, along with 3,000 Americans; nah, when it comes to building up community relations and bringing down the house, making a community center we can all be proud of instead of a celebratory chapel, bringing a community together versus dividing it by rhetoric centered around religious bigotry living and reigning over the right thing to do...nah, I can't think of any mistakes, can you?

So, once again, here's to world peace on a roll on this fine Tuesday morning...

I want to thank my parents, for without their love and support I wouldn't be standing here in front of you today...and I want to thank all mexicans and latinos who have twittered their support, for you are All GOOD people and would never break a law or do anything bad towards another human being -- all you, my people, have ever wanted was a place to call home, maybe free medical care to call your own, and would never hurt a soul. But most of all, I wish to thank God, for this is a shining example of um, the manifest destin-ism, and untitedism for all, first Arizona, and now the Universe,now let my people go... fly, be free, for thee I sing...

Monday, August 23, 2010

Ah, we are such emotional creatures, aren't we? And when things don't feel right, our 'all systems are go' can get shut down, shut out, turn upside down and backwards complete with a blinking red light and siren without so much as a warning bell -- we just go full stop, or full speed back, throwing in a few maydays as we go along.

This morning, I am trying to get around the latest expectation blown to smithereens of our current president -- without going the distance of ranting and raving about the lack of attention when it was surely due... way back when... while we were mindlessly being suffocated under a wave of campaign promises and the larger than life ideals of just a man being introduced to us -- speaking of his no religion, too.

Thinking back to the days of Denver, with halos and strobe lights and violins, oh my.

What do we expect after electing someone who by all appearances and staging, came to us like the second coming of Christ, orchestrated by every living detail as to how it would look, and sound, and more importantly, feel, to all those in attendance and watching from afar, from nearly every part of the world; we gathered enough information to come to some realization of knowing how HE would make us feel if he were president, and then all googly-eyed welcomed him with open arms.

It was girls day at the movies yesterday, we saw Eat Pray Love, and it was good; do you think that has anything to do with my thought pattern of choice today. Oh yes indeed, opinion and feelings matter...in absolutely every fundamental factor of being human; who we choose to share our life with matters from the little world of romance we keep, to the macro sense of being in relationship with anyone and everyone, including a president.

What we do know, without the need for bells and whistles, is that things change; we evolve and grow in every endeavor, sometimes on a personal level all by ourselves, and sometimes all together as one big happy family, and sometimes as a community, while even still, as a nation. When not on full stop, we keep moving forward little by little, and sometimes in one fell swoop.

As long as things are understood and agreed upon (including the option of agreeing to disagree), we can move along just fine -- for in that agreement there is beautiful clarity shining the light for what lies ahead.

There is a poll -- a mass of opinion, a compilation of feelings -- from last Thursday stating that the largest share of people -- 43% -- said they don't know what " his religion" is; this comes to us in the same package as 18% say Muslim, 34% say Christian. All in all, we are confused.

But who can blame us, right?

In all the times our dear president has rallied the troops and has said the words, 'let me be clear,' he is once again, muddying the water by his lack of taking a real position, whatever it may be; and make no mistake, wherever that answer may lie in truth, is world's away from where we are today.

The welding cannot hold much longer; we will explode if we don't get the weight of the unknowing-ness off our back. For it is this lack of clarity that is stirring what is deep inside to feel nothing but insecurity; for most of us, I would think, we just want to shake him, and find the key that would unlock every worry and concern from ever entering our mind, for we just want to know, for sure, without a doubt, as clear as a warning light intermittently reminding us -- we are now in the state of plan B, get used to it and get over it.

Let's see, how did Eat Pray Love put it so eloquently, "send love and light, and drop it."

We can deal with whatever follows, but the one thing that puts us -- and everyone in our sights -- into catatonic all systems failure is the immediate danger of lack of decision, the inability to navigate through the grey area while in the valley of our discontent, with beating heart and anxious soul leading us down.

It is not so much in the answer that he, the president, may ultimately exchange with us that will harm us -- it is his conscious inability to take a stand in the heat of the moment and simply give us a clear sign as to who he is and sticking to it -- we expect of our Commander in Chiefs to take command, if nothing else; but here we are in the state of what is, hooking up with what was, having a heck of a hard time in the blending of the two:

it (confusion) could begin, say, from birth, Muslim father, socialist mother, Muslim stepfather, raised in Muslim Indonesia for his most impressionable, childhood years, as Barack Hussein Obama (a middle named he dropped when in full campaign mode)

it was his past twenty years rolling, yippy skippy, in the audience of a Black Liberation Preacher, under Dr. Jeremiah Wright, who was widely known as family and mentor, and not until the people took issue did the man we now know as our President, drop him, batta-bing batta-boom, out of his life;

it was his first jaunt around the Middle East apologizing for America's behavior, while dismissing wholeheartedly our Christian roots -- rewriting our nation's birth and history and character, without apologizing to those left behind upon his return;

it is surrounding himself with radical left wing, Marxist mentality czars, who would still be in the thick of things if not for the hair-raising concerns of a few patriots demanding answers;

it is brazenly declaring "as a CITIZEN, and as president" saying they "have a right to build, for this is America, you know..." and turning around the next day as a simple citizen saying in essence, "yes but, I didn't say it was the right thing to do" and on top of that, throwing salt on the wound adding, "but let me be clear, I have no regrets." (ixnay on both way-sy-nay)

The thing is, the definition of what is, is.

Meanwhile, all of the presidents men have come to his rescue -- denouncing the latest polls -- and as luck should have it, me thinks went on a media blitz professing a wee bit too much -- for now his cover's been blown, he can't carry on business as usual without his intentions preceding him; for IF his heart is really not in it, IF his Christian beliefs were only filling a need to complete the package for qualification as an American president to be, IF it's not really him -- we will not only know it at every level, 20,000 leagues under the sea or not, we will deal with it the only way we know how...at the polls.

And periscopes up, we can't be any more clear-er about that, can we.

And it would not be his new religion that would be so unsettling -- it would be the masquerading as the something he's not.

And then, after the new-ness has worn off, what remains at the end of a day is the shape of a relationship we can no longer recognize. No worries, motoring along, sometimes things just happen -- things jump in our path unexpectedly, things we assumed were there are no longer in view, things we thought would happen become only a dream of what could have been.

And then again, maybe even the Muslim world is confused -- 83% of Muslims held an UNfavorable view of the United States when Bush was still president; today, strikingly, it is at 85%, under Obama.

As a human -- Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Whatever -- the only thing we can do is save ourselves first; we send light and love and drop it. All else shall be added unto you in due time; the pieces will fall into place; for there are no accidents; the heart will heal and become whole, just in time to turn it over to something else.

The only bells and whistles that will sound off will be the lasting assurance deep inside that we are part of something far greater than what stands before us in man, any man -- and only then, the seen and the unseen have a real chance to come together in a magical dance that elevates our world and lifts us up just when we need It most.

The movie leaves us with lingering thoughts...like in this one: only from ruin comes transformation; wow, talk about speaking loud and clear to me; while the final scene of the crossing over lends itself to the moment of living in the here and now, this happy Monday that it is.

Crossing from unknown, back to known, and once again back into unknown is what we do -- while we hardly expect it, or in the least bit admire it, coming from a president and all -- Julia did it with not only full on clarity all the way to the end, but with her Mona Lisa smile leading the way.

Does Martha's Vineyard have a movie theater? With a little luck, an act of fate perhaps, we will get news of Michelle dragging her man to one of the best chick flicks I've seen in years -- and just maybe, force him to talk about his feelings over gelato afterward -- I believe a little more clarity less uncertainty would make all the difference in the world (praying on it wouldn't hurt either, just pick a mat or pew and stick with it, sitting on the thin line between doesn't bring us to our happy place).

We can only hope -- and eat, and pray, and love while we wait.

(whatever it is, we can deal, mr. president.)

Make it a Good Day, G

Harvest Moon, Neil Young, is playing on Dear America this happy Monday morning, and it goes out to you, and you, and to you too, and especially to you, baby

Thursday, August 19, 2010

There is something in the air, can't quite figure out what it is quite yet, but I feel a change is coming...no, I know what it is.

For those of you who know me, fall is my favorite time of year -- and that, I smell, is right around the corner, right next to the Starbucks and five and dime.

But first off, I had to sit out a day for reasons being, one, my girl was in need of her mama, and for two, I was lingering over a happy moment from the day before...a moment when someone more left meets someone more right comfortably somewhere in the middle of understanding and mutual respect.

In the words of my new best friend, Jennifer, speaking much like someone -- and as one who does not identify herself as a conservative -- coming to meet me for coffee or a glass of wine:

"lets me understand what I think must be true of most folks who on the surface seem to have different politics. We all want life to be better and more coherent -- I think we just interpret history differently, and have a different sense of what power is."

I get such a thrill when east meets west, when north meets south, when left meets right, when just simple thoughts connect us at a level we can effortlessly recognize and understand -- at the heart.

I have no idea how left she leans, or how front and center she might sit, but it doesn't really matter in this moment, for the connection was made and is real...and it feels good.

That's all I'm saying.

It feels good...and thank you, Jennifer, for showing me how possible the impossible can come about.

And isn't that what America is all about, really...the melting into one nation, indivisible, with justice and the pursuit of happiness for all.

We came together, as a nation, from birth, with guarantees to no one -- and only getting a whiff of the possibility of what the pursuit of happiness might bring, as evident in those who came before us; the making, the inventing, the creating, the engineering, the showing up somewhere for an honest days work was in the air all over America, but the breathing it in, the embodiment was all up to us; taking that whiff all the way to market was entirely up to the individual, and by design -- and should still remain.

The wanting to learn, had to come from deep inside us.

The ambition to make something of ourselves, in spite of whatever wrongs came down our path, had to come from a deeper place, one that very possibly may be hidden and hard to find.

The talent, the skill, the action to fulfill our every dream and put bread on the table, could only be unhinged and let loose with our own two hands, our own two feet, our own determination to make it here, there, or anywhere.

What the article of radical homemakers stirred up for me, was the resurfacing of this inner strength and conviction to change our circumstances, to repair what is broke, to rebuild what's in shambles, to reignite what is inside us. We are at will to change both our homestead and the community in which we live -- and need nothing more than the inherent power within us all, equally and fairly, to do it.

We don't need affirmative action to get there.

We don't need the government's help to get there.

We don't need anything but what is already inside us.

I have actually been going through a really rough time -- this year has seen more change, more upside down circumstances, more mishaps and wrong turns, than one girl should ever have to endure. While in this moment -- with fall in the air and an appreciative word from my new best friend -- the hardship can be easily hidden from view to the outside. G can tap away as if not a care in the world.

Little do you all know that right here and now, I sit seemingly content most days only because my little tush hit first.

Oh, but for those who do know, I get affirmations daily from angels unaware and distant family who feel me without even saying a word.

If you will indulge me for a second, let me share the latest ha-ha moment -- via my mama from east coast to west. She is famous for clipping out things she would love to buy for you, but sending the picture instead; and I know right there, it sounds like a dig, but it isn't! It is pure love expressing -- as it is clearly in touch with a feeling, an emotion, and from across the miles it is instant connection, like no more dial up -- just high speed, in the vein, fireball of love...can you feel me now, kind of thing.

Anywho, she sent a worn corner of a catalog showing a paperweight. On this "made in Rhode Island of lead-free solid pewter" said the words from Winston Churchill,

"If you're going through hell, keep going."

Nahhhhh, I thought I'd stay awhile...

That's what I am talkin' about.

This is the American spirit at work, through the mind of a brilliant Brit, at it's very best. (I love Churchill, remember now, it was Kennedy who made him an honorary citizen one day in the Rose Garden...gotta show some love for that, too...you see what the changing of a season into fall does for me...oh, you get me now...)

For $35.00, you too can have this little reminder, and support the craftsmen of Rhode Island, by going to www.uncommongoods.com/ or calling 888- 365 - 0056...and no, I know what you're thinking now, G is not being paid for the plug, so have at it.

The thing is, today, I feel like America is in a state of some sort of purgatory; it's like we can't decide which way we are going to go. Do we stick with what has worked for 234 years, that which has been at times rocky for sure, but at best, steadfast and pure of heart and good intentions for so long; or do we allow for the diversity and uncommon politics to get the best of us, not meeting somewhere in the middle, not bridging the east with west, not bringing the south north, and not taking the opportunity of finding that place found hidden in the soul, at the heart of a nation, and as leader to the free world?

And not only are we in the midst of this confused state, we are paralyzed in the motion of pointing fingers everywhere but to our very own root cause; for it is easier to look to the problem outside of ourselves, somebody Else's fault, fate, circumstance, bad timing, poor judgement, wrong turns, the previous administration, improper business practices, lying, cheating, corruption and overall fatigue, blaming it all on anyone else, but our self. (and of course, while there, in the muck on the bottom -- no really the bottom, bottom-bottom, can't get any worse or lower or out of this world bad -- in Sarah Bernhardt style -- take on the victim mentality, whine and cry and the whole shebang...waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah....woe is me.)

Nope.

We don't stand for that in America.

Adversity is a test of time and tolerance and tenacity and transition; our ability to transcend emotionally, mentally, spirtually and ultimately physically, is everything -- and thereby builds a life.

Another guardian angel and kindred spirit of mine, reminded me recently of this, let's just call him "Fred":

"There is a philosophy that says the universe keeps giving us opportunities / lessons that we need to work through / come to terms with and accept before we can move on to something new."

I guess it is just that for some of us, and I'm not pointing fingers here, just haven't re-founded that same level of -- understanding, if you will?

(and not for people like Jen, can I call you Jen? my new best friend -- and for God knows, not me either, even when all I really want to do is sit and wallow in it here and now, along with a box of bonbons and Kleenex, notwithstanding looking straight out my window to the gorgeous August afternoon)

We may not all agree on the surface, but deep down, we know each other and want what's best for each other, and want a life better for our children than we wish for ourselves, and maybe even have a chance to bake our own bread occasionally and go to the farmer's market while we do it, all in the peace and quiet of a nation melting into one body, with the welcoming spirit of fall keeping the company of strangers, angels, and new friends -- for this is the United States of America, and a good morning it is.

We are never too far apart as one nation under God, call It whatever you will (even Allah, works, when we come in peace and mutual respect); we are not that far apart, indeed.

What we have here, is a breakdown in communication; we have lost something in translation; we have mass confusion and frustration going on as we all hit rock bottom not on our bums, unfortunate enough, but upon our noggins; some of us will bounce back all on our own, others will stay for awhile mistaking the circumstance as final fate; but everyone, from left to right, will look to the leaders of this nation and seek clarity, concern, compassion, conservative and wise spending, complete honesty, continuity in the principles and values that have been tested through all time and society's large and small -- and perhaps, if it is comes up in conversation, a whole lot less of pointing fingers.

But in a nutshell falling from our family tree, a government built upon self-reliance was the key to our success, the meat with our potatoes, the duality of outcomes equal to all people, in principle and with every day proper use.

Albeit that somebody else decided for me, but President Obama is my president, too; a sense of understanding of this great duty is all I ask of him and of anyone farther left who wish to further rub the raspberry on my buttocks.

All we really need is the return to the Golden Rule, and just maybe, we have half a chance to grow that garden of Eden we always wished we had, or just maybe, we could spin the air and move mountains and somehow create the heaven on earth for all people of all politics, and just maybe, a couple of girls, who on the surface appear to be going in entirely two different directions, can find themselves sipping out of the same fountain.

A girl can dream, can't she?

Make it a Good Day (because nobody else will), G

we all have a gift to share; we all have a casserole to bring to the table; we all have the ability to come together, and not be torn apart through bad politics...catch the video on Dear America, please. be inspired to be part of the solution (and there are many)....the choice is ours, individually, and collectively everything will correct itself...

Little Jackie is an angel, divinity in action, and an American Girl for us all.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

What the left seems to underestimate, is the depth and breadth of the discontent.

Case in point and matter of current interest, the Imam Rauf and his intentions to build a victory mosque at Ground Zero. He, and the liberal elite clinging to the Constitution in dire need of support, do not recognize Ground Zero as sacred ground already; a shrine to the lost souls and the entire citizenry of the United States of America has already been established.

Oh, it will blow over, they say, dismissing every ounce of solidarity of common sense and the cry out for mutual respect; it will be but a bleep in the news cycle, let's move on.org. and fast.

No. This matter is not going to be swept under the rug or hung out to dry; nor should it be considered full grown, done and ready for harvest -- it is but a budding seedling that has finally been given enough light and sustenance to pronounce real growth.

A search over the net will give you everything you need to know about the imam in question -- and will most certainly startle your every sense and sensibility of the man, the "moderate", the model of Islamic tolerance and tepid ways. To be sure, go to places like www.actforamerica.org/ or read more of www.tawfiqhamid.com/ and seek to find the truth hidden beneath the propaganda being fed through the tube -- for we are only being told what the administration and the mainstream media want us to hear.

But enough about this man, the imam, a radical in sheep's clothing. enough. for today, anyway.

Now that we are awake, the story will continue with a life force of it's own -- and that, my friends, we can celebrate.

What I really want to talk about today is another radical movement afoot.

And this one, I honestly don't know if I should laugh or cry...the Sunday paper brought news from the south forty apparently. Mary Beth Breckenridge, of MCT News Service, featured a story out of Akron, Ohio: "Radical homemaker? It's simple, really."

So ring the bells of your local chapel or mosque, and bow down not to a radical imam, but a radical mom!

It's simple, really.

We bake bread and exchange cultural recipes for chutney and jam -- and it's radical, I tell you, just plum radical.

Are you kidding me?

So after we burned our bras and come into our own careers without a care in the world, it is now vogue to go viral rural. Like I said, if it wasn't so funny, I would be making my own fish pond as we speak.

AS Mary Beth outlines for us, citing author on the subject, Shannon Hayes, "radical homemakers, women and men who are reclaiming the traditional role of homemaker as part of their desire for a less materialistic life...measuring [success] not in terms of money, but in aspects as strong relationships, ecological sustainability and happiness."

Oh, I get it, so they are actually catching up to the conservative moms and dads who have embraced this little secret to life all along -- generally speaking, of course.

Ahh settle down, now. Don't misconstrue my attitude, I dig it that people are getting it; and I truly welcome the opportunity for homemaking to become suddenly cool again, I do. I love it, I love it and wants some more of it.

The idea of scaling back, down or even become ever so slightly akin to the laws of good homemaking and child rearing and responsible citizenry is a breath of fresh air -- absolutely.

The part that just makes this girl giggle is the idea that it is deemed a RADICAL movement -- like as if it's crazy talk and synonymous with other free radicals bouncing around the cornfields; but hey, whatever means to the ends it must take, I am in full support. Where do I sign up?

Certainly, some restrictions apply, we all can't just run out and radically shift into little house on the prairie, no? For one, we don't have enough land, condominiums restrict hanging out our dirty laundry in search of natural bleach -- for even a wanton towel across a banister is grounds for a letter of reprimand.

While, as we have evolved and our now motoring into a new age of global commerce and exchange, the call for attorneys, engineers, scientists, and CEO's is paramount to keeping up with the Jones' whether we like it or not; we can't all grow up to be the bread bakers and the candlestick makers any longer (besides, most jobs in the field go to illegal immigrants, ahhh but who's counting anymore).

Don't get me wrong -- radical moms and pops are a good thing; let live and prosper, right?

The best thing that surfaced in the article was a brief moment of enlightenment that points the way of the new and improved radical homemaker, and in essence recognized the return of the lowly household from being one centering around consumption (after coming out of the industrial age), to one based on the grown up yuppie's idea of 21st century production (I am getting a vision of Diane Keaton in the farmhouse kitchen, anyone remember that movie?).

The thing is, in the macro sense, we have the grassroots reflecting that which ails our country, and more importantly, finding that balance we all crave once more. Now isn't that remarkable.

Basically, we lost our soul when we went from a nation built upon innovation, manufacturing, industry and production (and faith! but let's stay on course here) -- to one that simply consumed that which was made somewhere else. Huh. Go figure.

Today, we are awake to our folly and fall from free enterprise and our inherent industrial spirit, having come full circle down the primrose path -- we are only wishing we could have seen the light long before the town's been boarded up and the dust clouds and tumbleweeds have blown in, that's all.

To build a proper, responsible, accountable, honorable, soulful, charitable, prosperous society we must cultivate the values and characteristics and seeds of thought which affirm that which we wish to make; production begins locally, in the home, and branches out to the community, and finally connects to the whole of the nation. Begging the question and contemplation, what do we actually produce? What do we need to make more of? What is lacking in the market place, in the homestead -- what holes need to be filled, what seeds need to be planted, what radical changes need to be made? and just where have I heard some of this radical thought before? (founding fathers, anyone?)

The list attached with Mary Beth's article contains a few simple ideas to start: including but not limited to, dedicating part of your lawn to a vegetable garden, getting to know your neighbors (so you can share CostCo runs and casseroles), shop at the Farmer's Market, donate items you no longer need, use reusable bags, turn off the TV, and cook! -- oh yes, and hanging out the laundry (having not mentioned the fine print, that being, if allowable through CC and R's, discuss with your attorney if you have any further questions or concerns).

While I already feel part of the It crowd, this girl can only dream that we all become a nation of radical moms -- really, I do.

Perfect time of year to can some jam, but above all,Make it a Good Day, G

I almost forgot...go to another homepage favorite of mine at www.asamom.com/ -- but be careful, nothing but unbridled radical homemakers abound. Travel there at your own risk and reward.

"I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there," he said. "I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founders."

"In this country we treat everybody equally and in accordance with the law, regardless of race, regardless of religion."

So to separate grey area from grey area, he believes that Muslims have the right to build -- for it's a free country -- but that doesn't mean that he means what he said, in that it may not be the right thing to do, now that he's had a chance to think about it.

Who's "he"? Why our president, of course.

You know, for the longest time, the White House position was simply this... it's not my problem - - it's a local issue, and it should be resolved, of course, locally.

Well, it takes some kind of audacity to go against the 70% of the people who are against the locale of this mosque, some kind of audacity, indeed.

And what a contrast to Germany, no? For in this moment, Germany up and closed a mosque for ties to Radical Islam. The timing of Obama's bah Hamburg is astounding, don't you think? I mean, it was within days of one mosque door closing and another mosque door opening...just a coincidence I'm sure.

And speaking of revolving doors, how about the timing of this little tidbit coming out of Washington:

"The point of all of that is I think that by next year I'll be in a position where, you know, we're going to know whether the strategy is working in Afghanistan. We'll have completed the surge. We'll have done the assessment in December. And it seems like somewhere there in 2011 is a logical opportunity to hand off.

I think that it would be a mistake to wait until January 2012. First of all, I think we might have trouble getting the kind of person they want if there's a possibility that they might only be in the job for a year. You know, who knows what the election situation will look like. But also I just think this is not the kind of job you want to fill in the spring of a presidential election. So I think sometime in 2011 sounds pretty good."

Said Robert Gates, U.S. Secretary of Defense, to Fred Kaplan, of Foreign Policy Press.

So what he means to say to Mr.Kaplan, Gates would rather have it's not my problem be his own personal -- abridged version, that it is -- foreign policy strategy of 2011...for the benefit of the country, so as not to create more harm than good, if he should wait until 2012 to bail, because he's thought about it and he wants out.

And yet, hasn't it become increasingly clear lately, we have a long way to go?

I just have to wonder, a girl just wants to know, just why would he say this right now? We have everything in Afghanistan hanging on by it's last surge of ammo, and Gates goes out on drone and drops this? And coming from a reputable source, unlike the Rolling Stone (only speaking on foreign policy, everything else is golden).

At a time when Afghanistan is searching the mountain tops high and low for a little bit of lasting security, you, Mr. Gates, makes this crowing revelation that it is time FOR YOU to think about getting out -- aside from the already weary circumstances that lead us to July 2011, when we all pull out; what were you thinkin?

And Mr. President, how in the world could you pick the side of those who wish to build a celebratory mosque over and above those who put you in office? With all due respect, in the minds of most Americans, you have committed a war crime, treason, call it what you will.

Absolutely stunning.

A quick glance at either polls or opinion tells you, if nothing else, the issue of the mosque is divisive in and of itself -- not for virtue of the religion, egads no! -- but for the utter, pure destruction of the spirit of America that is of the essence part and parcel of the exact location Imam Rauf intends to build it.

Countless opinions have chimed in to say, the Japanese could not build a monument on Pearl Harbor (not that they would try (lingering on in my head...as an interesting point); and as much as there remains a right for all people to speak their mind, if a person -- of any color -- would be found in the town square preaching racial obscenities or casting declarations to harm another in any way, on the basis of color or religion -- they would be hauled off in handcuffs for reason none other than the blatant and barbarous abuse of their own God-given free speech, end of story.

"America is a free country where you can build whatever you want -- but not anywhere. That's why we have zoning laws. No liquor store near a school, no strip malls where they offend local sensibilities, and, if your house doesn't meet community architectural codes, you cannot build at all. These restrictions are for reasons of aesthetics. Others are for more profound reasons of common decency and respect for the sacred. No commercial tower over Gettysburg, no convent at Auschwitz -- and no mosque at Ground Zero. Build it anywhere but there." --columnist Charles Krauthammer

The unconscionable acts of 9/11 rests heavy in the heart of every American -- still, and for our very own president to be so off base on this one (again), to be so laissez faire in a new world, warped sort of way -- to be so it's not my problem, but at the same time, I will intercede and not only form an opinion but voice it, too, and may even go so far as to further rub it in your face after months of community organized debate -- that is a stroke of audacity that is unprecedented (and we all know how much He loves to be unprecedented).

It's like our own president gave the imam his blessing, or something; like a father over a marriage, like a God over a land, but only in the most perverse sense. Most Americans see it as such.

I can't wait to see how this administration argues on behalf of the Muslim woman wanting a divorce. In this country, women are granted a divorce for simply irreconcilable differences, and can be granted rather quickly; I wonder, which law will have "precedence" -- America's rule of law as designed by the founders (Obama's go-to answer of his answer) and embedded deeply and faithfully within our Nation's Constitution and every way of life since 1776 (or thereabouts) -- or the Muslim sharia law, embedded by the rule of man over every woman and child within their nation of Islam since nearly the beginning of time? Which law has precedence there, or is that a rhetorical question? (Oh, we are young, but are we that stupid too? -- oh what? you don't think it could happen? here in America? bit by bit, the people will never know what hit them until it's too late)

Our house is no longer being built on rock, but upon sand.

The Taliban of Afghanistan stoned a couple over the weekend for adultery; is that what we have to look forward to in the town square? The article linked includes this:

"could mean a step backward for human rights in the country. When the Islamist extremists ruled Afghanistan, women were not allowed to leave their houses without a male guardian, and public killings for violations of their harsh interpretation of the Quran were common."

Could mean?

I mean, really? Seriously?

I mean, Muslims have that right, but that doesn't mean it is the right thing for them to do.

I mean, I think it would be a mistake to wait until 2012 (for me, anyway, need to time my withdrawal just right, for this ship is going down).

The funny thing about It's not my problem is that it's never usually the right answer -- and surely, you better KNOW it's not your problem, or at the very least wait until the coast is clear, before you speak the words out loud -- any commander in chief or defense secretary should know that much.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

"The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. To dig for treasures shows not only impatience and greed, but lack of faith. Patience, patience, patience, is what the sea teaches. Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach -- waiting for a gift of the sea." Anne Morrow Lindburgh

Gift from the Sea, is quickly becoming part of my sojourn to summer; long forgotten on the bookshelves, I tripped over it while well underway in a search for something else. Lucky for me, it was just what my soul was craving.

Never you mind that it reminds me of a young America -- as we sit, with nothing better to do but reflect upon our search for self, as a people, as to our future, as if unable to read, or write, or do anything but decompress into ourselves -- the rapture of meeting the opportunity of that which has presented itself, overcomes me.

We are venturing into a new land, a time when we are returning to the self-realization of what made America, meeting with that which might save America from utter disaster.

Initially, like the sea, we must not be 'too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient'; the answers must come to us, naturally, and without fear -- knowing that the faith to support a young America, growing through the pangs of adolescence, can come out of it all right.

We must have patience.

For we are experiencing the rush to judgement far too much.

We are experiencing the rush to fix, liberally and recklessly.

We are experiencing the rush to immediate gratification, with everything from what goes into our mouths to what comes out, with everything from what we buy to what we sell, with everything from short term gains to long term disaster -- we are a wreck.

Do we teach our children the art of patience anymore? Do they understand the agony of waiting for a returned letter from a pen pal? Do they anticipate a hearty homemade dinner after a day in the fields or the family store, or a long and lazy afternoon at the watering hole or sandy shore? Do we represent a nation of patient believers in a country filled with opportunity -- with effort, time, will power, failure, perseverance, pain, frustration, and great reward in the end?

IS this who WE are anymore?

We have an administration swept in with the tide of growing frustrations, frustrations so great, we were desperate for anything that promised hope and change.

We said, all together, come, take, take of my body which is given for you -- for we have lost our way, absent of our inherent strength and faith on our own; we said, come, take. take what you want, we will turn ourselves over to you, and be grateful and satisfied; lowering ourselves to a nation ignorant of our own undoings, enthralled by more the possibility of a sudden, collective and fundamental transformation rather than taking the time and effort of circumstance to bury our heads deep inside ourselves, beginning with the foundation of life itself -- allowing for our own responsible duty to ourselves, first and foremost -- and then in turn to each other.

All good things begin at home and alone.

Yet, we have no time for that...

Lindbergh makes the observation, it is of no use to make the good come to us under duress, to force the perfect whelk or moon shell to come out from under the sand before it's time, or under coercion; no, we must stumble upon it; that perhaps, all good things come to those who wait.

But it isn't in the waiting, is it?
For it is the what we do in the wait -- in the preparation, in the learning, in the responsibility, in the growth, in the understanding -- that we realize what we have, and of course, of what may be of risk to lose without knowing it.

A quick reality check will tell us, if only we are each responsible to ourselves, if only we do what is right and honorable, if only we act in accordance to the law of attraction -- akin to a basic understanding that we get what we give and better for it in the end -- we will see that the principles that made America are every bit essential and poignant yesterday, are every bit as important today; as we stand with toes poised, feeling the stir of the water running underneath them, and ready to dive into another realm of realization, the core values and the inherent responsibility to ourselves, is the only thing we should be concerned with.

But, as unconscious as we may be -- we made this America, too.

"[at first, the beach...] Too warm, too damp, too soft for any real mental discipline or sharp flights of spirit. One never learns. Hopefully, one carries down the faded straw bag, lumpy with books, clean paper, long over-due unanswered letters, freshly sharpened pencils, lists, and good intentions...At first, the tired body takes over completely...One is forced against one's mind, against all tidy resolutions, back into the primeval rhythms of the sea shore...One falls under their spell, relaxes, stretches our prone. One becomes, in fact, like the element on which one lies, flattened by the sea; bare, open, empty as the beach, erased by today's tides of all yesterday's scribblings.

And then, some morning in the second week, the mind wakes, comes to life again."

We are in the second year, the second week of awakening. Yes, in order to save the whole, we must first save ourselves; we must recognize our individual duty to the spirit of rebuilding in faith and function our entire world in which we live.

Only by our personal journey to make ourselves better, stronger, and glistening in the afternoon sun -- enough to catch our eye in-between the rippling waves and the tossing of what appears to be only a shell -- we find the real treasure of our own making. Collectively, then, we can return home in the accompaniment of others, and become truly great, ripe with potential, with a spirit of renewal and a sense that altogether in this commitment and faith and re-enchantment of what makes us good, will be what saves.

There is no such thing as someone doing the work that only we can do, and remaining all the better for it; there is no such thing; there is no such thing as the government doing the work for us -- that is surely not the way we were made. That is a thought, a hope, a change, a way that is sharply in-congruent with everything that we have ever been or will ever be.

We mustn't get greedy or anxious, lazy or apathetic; we must have patience to make it, and do it, and be it all on our own.

Martin Luther King said, "the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek."

But let's just send the Imam on the taxpayer's dime to the Middle East; yeah, yeah, that's a good idea.

According to P.J. Crowley of the State Department, we can all be further reassured that this itinerary was set in place month's ago; and it is just one of the many -- 1,200 similar programs -- of sending experts overseas,

"last year we had, you know,

52 trips that were specifically focused

on promoting religious tolerance,"

Crowley added,

copping an attitude.

And we can have all our worries put to rest knowing that, the imam will not be allowed to raise funds on the trip (notwithstanding, the opportunity of passing out business cards on where to send notes of thanks and praise, or funds via Western Union).

As most of us are well aware, it is this imam who is at the center of a controversial plan to orchestrate the building of a mosque just two blocks from the site of the terror attacks on 9/11, which killed 3,000 Americans and billions in economic destruction, as part of a $100 million, 13-story Islamic center. In order to promote better relations between Muslims and the West, the Cordoba Initiative advocacy group is leading the charge.

But for even greater clarity, Crowley made sure to mention the fact that the administration is not taking sides on the issue -- that purely, by the merits of the noble gesture to bring unity to a community in turmoil (and an America at war with Islamic terrorists) he simply passes off taking opposition of the celebratory mosque, or Islamic center, as a matter of "zoning." Get real, P.J.

So, if anyone would like to voice an opinion to the zoning issue currently going on in NYC,

you can contact Mayor Bloomberg -- and he can be found under a pile of donations from radical Islamic organizations throughout the world, while hiding behind his bagel and schmear, waiting for your call I'm sure::

PHONE 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC)

FAX (212) 788-8123

E-MAIL: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

Isn't that the coolest -- if you are within the city limits, all you have to do is dial 311 and you get the Mayor's office! That, is the best thing I have come across all morning.

SO where were we, oh yes, the Imam Rauf...we are paying him now, to fly over an ocean, and represent America in a whirlwind tour encompassing the Middle East meets West, for all people -- Christian, Jews, Mormons, Atheists, Jehovah's Witness', and any and all other religions herewith not mentioned, oh of course, oopsy daisy, and Muslims -- to represent the community of coming together in the United States as one nation under God, or Allah, for it doesn't matter what we call it -- that is simply a question of "zoning."

Is there a hidden camera somewhere?

C'mon, you guys, this isn't funny...c'mon, are we being punked?

OMG
OMA
OMWWJD
OMWTF
OMUSA, let us pray.

Make it a Good Day, G
Oh, I almost forgot, you can call P.J. at the U.S. Department of State @202-647-4000, or go over his head and ask to speak to Hillary. Either way, making a little noise in unison on this matter -- in protest of course -- is highly recommended, and may even bring a community together for a common purpose to create the kind of change we (ALL Americans, anyway) can believe in.

It may be difficult to reach the Imam at this time...for the pied-piper of peace is leeeaving, on a jet plane [and] I don't know when he'll be back again...

Monday, August 9, 2010

Any woman could probably rattle off a list of ten cosmetic companies in a blink of an eyelash; men, could name a wish-list of trucks or sports cars at a rate of 0 to sixty in 3.7 seconds -- introducing the new Mercedes-Benz 2011 SLS AMG -- in chrome with red interior preferred grrh ra wowwwww (true stats too).

That slamming brand new baby is ready to rock n'roll while getting up to 200 mph -- where you can drive it at that speed, besides through the Mojave Desert, I do not know.

Have you seen the mascara aisle lately? There must be 100 different mascaras just at the local five and dime -- not counting the Mac counters and ritzy glitzy stuff at the department stores. I mean, really, remember when our eyes immediately locked onto the pink and green packaging brought to you by Maybelline -- with perhaps the option of a waterproof version of the same?

Now we have every leader and wannabe in the field of beauty jumping in with each their own version of the extra lengthening, blacker than black, falsies and fabulous, smudge proof, waterproof, crying proof, perfectly separating, flake free, lash fortifying, Hollywood approved mascara known to (wo)man.

It is mind-boggling to say the least.

The downside with building an economy around spending --

is building an economy around spending.

But just look at the upside...with spending, people are employed! With spending, people make the things that other people want to buy. With spending, the law of circulation is alive and well, and it continues to merrily merrily go round and round as long as the getting is good.

If the circulation gets thrown out of whack for reasons of either improper use of the law itself -- borrowing too much in order to buy, falsifying documents or fraudulently biting off more than one can chew or fudging just a wee bit on how much money we make or the liabilities already at play -- then oopsy daisy, we all come down.

The downside with building an economy around spending --

is building an economy around spending.

America has built the most prosperous, the most innovative, the most charitable, the most faithful nation of movers and shakers and buyers there ever lived.

Everybody, in one form or another, has contributed to keeping up -- or at least even steven -- with the Jones' for years...and for even those who could not get theirs fair and square, regulation or the lack thereof, assisted in the making of going from wimpy, droopy lashes to fast, full and fabulous in one stroke of the magic wand (and when I say lashes, I mean to say, "lashes" can be substituted on a whim with anything else that meets your fancy for immediate gratification...).

The downside with building an economy around spending --

is building an economy around spending

Oh, and there is this, perhaps if for the last forty or fifty years, the demand for cars and trucks and SUVs and Minivans did not grow to keep up with the pace car, miles ahead and just making us grumble the American rally cry of "I want that" -- of course, only with the confidence and security of having waterproof lash protection on first.

It is soooooooooo easy to blame the thirst for oil and gasoline on the irresponsible and reckless car makers --- according to the green machine building up momentum over the last several decades. It is soooo easy to blame it on the friends of oil, the lobbyists of oil, the presidents of oil and even a war or two; the happy and hypocritical left would like nothing better than to have us think it is all for the love of speed combined with the greedy capitalists in charge, who have created the winding roadway to the overwhelming addiction to anything that moves and the harsh realities of where we are today.

On a wink and a prayer with those fabulous eyes of ours, we let the future ride for another day...and another day....and another day...

not by the hands of simply the makers of these fine things, but by our own bloody demand -- oh, and by the way, there's a really good spot cleaner for that...aisle eighty six this.

The downside with building an economy around spending --

is building an economy around spending.

Time to look in the mirror, ladies and gentlemen; this is every bit as much our fault as it is theirs. Take away those with the dough who don't want what you sell, and what have you got? You force change to happen in the market all by itself.

The law of circulation begins with the law of supply and demand.

How does Mercedes-Benz spin it. "The best or nothing. That is what drives us."

You got that right. It is a vicious cycle, indeed; but we, the buyers of what sells, made this mess every bit as much as the the makers of Mercedes-Benz and such.

Richard Reich has a piece in this month's Newsmax (don't even get me started on magazines...not since Thomas Paine has the selling of commentary and other people's fluff been so flooded into the marketplace...we can sell anything, can't we?!).

SO, how does the former secretary of labor (under Billy) size it up:

"In the short term, [we need] more stimulus: Extend unemployment benefits and aid to state and local governments that are whacking schools and social services because they can't run deficits [because cutting spending is so not attractive]...In the long term, we need a new New Deal that will bolster America's floundering middle class [the new New Deal, he actually said that...as if the new and improved will be any better]."

The downside with building an economy around spending --

is building an economy around spending.

What we refuse to talk about or give proper credence to, it would seem, is not the law of circulation, or the law of supply and demand that brought us here, but another tiny little matter worthy of our full attention -- the basic law of self-reliance and individual duty, inherent to all Americans, that is slowly being drowned out by all the other options that have presented themselves over the years.

The root problem is not solved by simply monitoring the supply or tweaking the demand; it cannot be resolved by speeding up the spending process or controlling who gets what, when or how -- no matter what the cost or so called value that it MIGHT potentially bring.

More importantly, it would be a lie if I told you flat out that this is what drives us as Americans, for real.

Sure, by all appearances, we have thrown on the painted faces and hopped into the latest animal on wheels, but that is not what drives us really (ignoring Hollywood and Cosmo of course).

What has made America great was our attention to detail, while motoring along our highways and byways. Yes, we like making ourselves look pretty darn good -- but, in the past, we were always able to handle it by the level of substance and humility and common sense hidden deep within our make up; built with a fighting individual spirit to succeed, on our own, and make something of ourselves, was what we were made of through and through.

So what if we got a little cocky, right; we could handle it -- because the substance back behind the false eyelashes and fast cars carried us further than our hearts desired.

It was this mentality, this freedom to live, this liberty that carried us fast and furious through the wealthiest years this world has ever known, with our real prosperity leading the way -- that being our sound work ethic, our charitable spirit and our fullness of faith in God, any God, even if that is purely a reverence to our inherent ability to make it merely on our own. We overflowed in the magnificence of making everything and nothing, and giving thanks for all of it on Sunday.

But pullleeze...don't get me wrong...there is nothing wrong with spending -- or building an economy around spending; for in that spending, we can take care of our families, our communities, and the desperation's of our surrounding world without blinking an eye; it is really good to be that nation, to be that kind of people.

But without substance, we not only miss out on being our best, and buying the best of the best, we run the risk of losing it all.

Our founders set us in the right direction -- of course, the intention of making it on our own two feet was to be our first and primary option...a slick advertising piece to sell it, no need to apply.

Since then, the supply of Americans with even a fair amount of understanding of this principle is dwindling -- and why the demand is so incredibly high.

The real fair market price, my friends, is going up.
Here we are, as the years have come and go, we find ourselves at the crossroads -- or where the miraculous miles of aisles meets the new frugality (and old humility) at warped speed. If we crash and burn, my hope is that I am wearing the right mascara for the moment.

Make it a Good Day, G

Rhapsody in (red, white) and Blue is featured on Dear America...Gershwin is a pretty great G.

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G Speaking to You

Everything we do today will fall into the hands of our children. This isn't anything new, of course. But today, more than ever, we must recognize our inherent birthright to live responsibly as caretakers of the Earth, our America and each other.

We each have a duty not only to this country but deep down in ourselves, to becoming responsible, independent, loving people who thrive in the creation of a rich and fruitful life, a life we can be proud to pass down to future generations.

When observing your personal efforts with respect to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, to whom do you serve? To whom does our Government serve, if not directly to the American people?

Government is not making our life better and we must wake up and be a part of doing something about it.